Tuesday, February 28, 2017

The issue of transgender equality has become, unfortunately, yet another situation about lgbt rights in which religious right groups seem to be defining the terms of argument, i.e. reducing the argument to an inaccurate, attention-catching point which exploits fear and subsequently finds the lgbt community playing defense.

In this case, religious right groups and spokespeople have pushed everyone's attention on bathrooms and the fear of not being safe in that very private and vulnerable space. While I despise the fact that the lgbt community finds ourselves yet again in another position of playing defense, I am happy with the fact that we are getting rather skilled at fighting from that position.

Buzzfeed proves this point in by spotlighting a drawing created by a transgender teen which turns the bathroom predator myth on its head by adding a little truth to the formula:

According to Buzzfeed,the drawing, which 22-year-old writer Jason Gross created in 2012, has become "a symbol in the fight for trans bathroom rights."

Gross told Buzzfeed:

"It’s good to know
that this isn’t just me being a baby and actually resonates with
others,” he said. “So if it can help further the movement the way it
seems to be doing I’m happy to let it go.”

The romantic drama, which hits select theaters Friday, follows James (played by Michael Grant), a young gay man who returns to his family’s New England farm after receiving conversion therapy treatment. At first, James believes he’s been cured of his same-sex attraction, but soon finds myself reconnecting with a former flame, Charlie (Josh Green), as seen in the video above.

Monday, February 27, 2017

Everyone is talking about Moonlight's big victory at the Oscars last night, as well they should. However, I noticed that something isn't being said which NEEDS to be said. Therefore, let me give my two cents with a personal letter to the motion picture and it's makers:

To the director and producers of Moonlight,

Thank you so much for making this movie. As a gay black man, it has been difficult to see three-dimensional characters on television and the big screen who are just like me. I was so desperate, I would look at old Soul Train clips on youtube and make guesses about the dancers. Or the episode of New York Undercover featuring Joe Morton a former boxer who became a drag queen.

Your victory and continued success is not only a triumph for yourselves, but also to the African-American lgbt community at large. I hope that Moonlight will be the first in a long line of films which spotlights accurate African-American lgbt portrayals and storylines.

Because goodness knows, we need it. Seriously, we have come a long way and I feel that your film is a reward for all of the times lgbts of color have had to sit through some of the most disgusting, nauseating, stomach-churning, religion -questioning ( I think you know where I'm going with this) portrayals of us created by our own people, i.e. African-Americans.

I mean there's just so many

oversexed bisexuals, self-hating black gay men in prison who commit suicide so that their mothers won't find out their orientation, butchy rape enthusiast lesbians, gay black male plane stewards with purple lip gloss, invisible high school characters who likes to wear flesh toned hot pants during prison visits, drooling gay men who get hot and bothered over seeing men hanging over hospital beds while wearing bloody diapers, hairdressers named Peaches, devious transgender women, specials on the "downlow," fake-ass authors who publish books on "how to spot if your boyfriend is gay," phony tv shows which offer a crusty, dried up olive branch in the form of AIDS education episodes between the mocking, and above all, sermonizing by certain gospel music programs featuring certain singers who happen to be gayer than a giant statue of Judy Garland

that I can take seeing before I get the desire to pull out my razor.

Granted, my comments are not meant to speak against the lgbts of color who don't fit the supposed norms because we are all God's children There is nothing wrong with effeminate gay men or butch lesbians. Nor is there anything wrong with sex in general. It's just that I am so happy to see anything featuring us as the main subject and the center of attention rather than a side character who is treated like a condiment.

Because, honestly speaking, I am running out of episodes of Soul Train to watch.

Editor's note - Moonlight's victory last night for 'Best Picture' at the Oscars was huge; so huge in fact that it's going to take a while for me to properly conceptualize how I feel about it. It was wild enough to finally see a movie which speaks to the experience of being a black gay man in America. Watching as said movie take a historical nod was just a bit more moving than I realized.

Blackwell

The lgbt community can't afford to let our guards down for even a minute during this Trump Administration. While he has yet to sign any anti-lgbt 'religious liberty' executive order, an official of his transition team, who is also a member of the anti-lgbt hate group the Family Research Council, told noted journalist Michelangelo Signorile that the executive order is coming:

Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who has served as domestic policy chair of President Donald Trump’s transition team, told (Signorile) in an interview on SiriusXM Progress that the controversial “religious freedom” order that leaked to the press a few weeks ago is very much on the way, even though White House officials had played it down.

According to Signorile, the worst is yet to come:

. . . Blackwell, a senior fellow at the Family Research Council (deemed an anti-LGBTQ hate group
by the Southern Policy Law Center), said in our interview at the
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) over the weekend that
the order is far from dead. He also confirmed that the former director
of Family Research Council’s Center for Religious Liberty, Ken
Klukowski, had “actually structured” the draft order as a legal advisor
to Trump’s transition team. Klukowski, who is now a senior attorney at the Liberty First Institute and a Breitbart contributor,
is one of the lawyers “in the process of redrafting it,” Blackwell
said, hinting that the original order may have been perceived as being
too vulnerable to a legal challenge.

“In the final analysis, what
we want is an executive order that will meet the scrutiny of the
judicial process,” he explained. “If there is no executive order, that
will disappoint [social conservatives]. But a good executive order will
not. So we’re still in the process.” Blackwell envisions the
“anchor concept” of the order as one that will allow people with
devoutly religious beliefs to turn away LGBTQ people in the course of
business.

“I think small business
owners who hold a religious belief that believes that traditional
marriage is between one man and one woman should not have their
religious liberty trampled upon,” he explained. “I would imagine that
that will be, strongly and clearly, the anchor concept [of the order].”
(In an interview with me at the Republican National Convention in 2008,
Blackwell had explained
that he doesn’t view LGBTQ people as a class of people who are
discriminated against, but rather sees homosexuality as a “compulsion
that can contained, repressed or changed.”)

To recap - according to a member of the anti-lgbt hate group the Family Research Council, who is also working with the Trump Administration, a homophobic executive order will be forthcoming. And this order is being worked on by others connected to FRC to ensure that lgbts can't win in the courts should, or rather, when it is challenged.

Maybe it's just me, but this sounds like things are going to be "hopping" before the year is out.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Major Publications Fail To Identify Anti-LGBTQ Hate Groups In Transgender Policy Coverage - We clearly have more work to do because this problem isn't simply about transgender issues. There is a reluctance in much of the media to call anti-lgbt hate groups what they are. I'm not of the mindset of some in my community about denying these groups a platform. I don't think it should be a platform where they are allowed to spew their litany of lies without challenged by a pro-lgbt spokesperson. And I also don't think the media should turn an invisible eye to these groups. They call them to respond on issues but rarely is there any story or article focused on the tactics of anti-lgbt groups. That HAS to stop.

2013 booklet on anti-lgbt groups

Speaking of which:

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right Lie on Gay America - my free online booklet on anti-lgbt hate groups and their tactics. Published in 2013, it is still relevant today seeing that Trump is working hand-in-hand with some of these groups and spokespeople. I have a feeling that the booklet will be needed a lot before it's all over.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

No matter what anyone in the Trump Administration says, the protection of transgender students is a federal issue. And whether some folks like the comparison or not (and I don't really give a crap if they don't), claiming that this is an issue best served by the states is not unlike folks who claimed that segregation was state's right issue issue.

And let's be clear as to why some folks are trying to claim that the protection of transgender students is a state's rights issue. They don't want to have to deal with the courts and have their lies exposes again; just like their lies were exposed about sodomy laws and marriage equality.

But this issue, and the issue of transgender rights in general has led me to take a new tact in communicating to people. It's a process I call "hand over." I could rail and raise hell, but I don't think it would be right for me to do that in cases where I should hand over the spotlight to folks everyone needs to hear from, which is in this case members of the transgender community.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

This mess Trump did in rescinding transgender student protections is bogus, ratcheted and basically a big bunch of bull. It stems from religious right propaganda and false stories about transgender predators scoping out girl's restrooms or parading themselves in the shower. It's not unlike the religious right propaganda (which is still used in many circles) which falsely portray lgbts as "recruiting children." And in this particular case, it's devastatingly ironic because those who will be hurt by Trump's action are children. They are the transgender children whose voices are usually drowned out by the lies propagated by the religious right, Fox News, and the conservative right in general. The following videos feature just a few of the many. See their faces, hear their stories, and educate yourselves on the issues of the transgender community.

Refusing to Watch LGBT Video, Houston Judge Sues Employer for Religious Discrimination- The lgbt community must take a hard stance against so-called "religious liberty" laws and not be swayed by the illusion that it's simply about bakeries and florists. These laws can bleed into cases of federal and state employees who want to take our tax dollars while refusing to do their jobs; from refusing to issue wedding licenses (hello Kim Davis) to, in this case, refusing to watch a video on how to treat us fairly.

When Did Christians Become Comfortable with the Loss of Truth? - Not necessarily an lgbt issue per se, but it has a lot to do with us. When you have groups like the Family Research Council and the American Family Association steering people who label themselves as "Christians" into an entire train of thought which include lies and distortions, we have a serious problem with the faith itself. And very few are aware of this.

Same-Sex Marriage Laws Linked To Powerful Drop In Teen Suicide Rate - I already sent a link about this, but it needs to be shouted from the rooftops. This is why marriage equality is important. When our lgbt children see a more inclusive society and people fighting for a more inclusive society, it means the world to them. Never forget that.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Today, the Family Research Council bragged in its Washington Update about testimony given by spokesman Peter Sprigg in New Hampshire. The testimony in question had to do with a bill banning ex-gay therapy for children. Ex-gay therapy is controversial in that it is supposed to be able to change one's sexual orientation.. States, such as California, Oregon, and New Jersey have passed laws against the practice, citing critics who contend that it is actual harmful. But FRC and other religious right groups have pushed back with testimony at legislative hearings:

In New Hampshire, it's double-your-trouble with two bills meant to
take away freedom under the mask of "tolerance." The first is a bill
that bans sexual reorientation therapy for children under 18, robbing
parents of a crucial choice to help their confused kids. As if that
weren't bad enough, liberals are also trying to award special rights on
the basis of gender identity -- including using the government to punish
businesses that designate bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers for men
only and women only. FRC's Peter Sprigg was on hand in the Granite State
to testify before the legislature on both attacks on locals' liberty.
As he explained, the attacks on reorientation therapy usually have
nothing to do with their effectiveness and everything to do with
politics. And, as Peter points out, there is abundant anecdotal evidence
that such therapies work. . . . Even the increasingly liberal American Psychological Association admits
that "participants reporting beneficial effects in some studies
perceived changes to their sexuality, such as in their sexual
orientation, gender identity, sexual behavior, [and/or] sexual
orientation identity." (To read Peter's full testimony, click here.)

I read Sprigg's testimony and found a few problems with his sources and claims.

By now, the vast majority of us know the particulars of the downfall of one Milo Yiannopoulos.

The British self-described gay "super villain" troll of the right traded racist, transphobic, Islamophobic and misogynistic rhetoric for extreme controversy, intense anger, a lucrative book deal, and much undeserved popularity. But now it may be all gone because of the one thing which ironically led to it all.

His mouth.

He is now just another example of how the past can bite one in the ass and how it's not good to make too many enemies. Milo, for those who don't know, is facing an ugly backlash because of an interview in which he defended pedophilia. The backlash in question has left the communities he victimized in joy, the conservative community (particularly the folks at CPAC, the big gathering of conservatives in which he was going to give the keynote address) very embarrassed, and Milo himself defiant.

Never one for "going gentle into that good night," Milo has been contrite but stern in insisting that this incident won't stop him. In fact today, he is holding a press conference, in which I'm sure there will be an intensely contrite performance.

Give me a break. Granted, I'm not happy over anyone's downfall but if anyone had it coming, it was Milo. Flippant, nasty, hateful, and an all-around drag, that chyle brought me down faster than being trapped listening to a Bryan Fischer speech.

Basically, Milo should hush. He got exactly what he deserved. He not only demonized innocents but, worse than that, he was a religious right wet dream. He was everything they claimed the lgbt community to be and then some - caustic, flippant, shallow, materialistic, mean, immoral, and oversexed down his badly dyed hair.

The young man is now learning a hard, but necessary lesson that there are some things you can't joke about. And when you busy yourself deliberately making enemies, you lose sight of the fact that there will be times in which you need friends.

Most of all, Milo is learning that "super villains" lose and lose big. As they are supposed to.

Friday, February 17, 2017

The Biggest Myth About Anti-LGBTQ Hate Groups Debunked - If I said it once, I've said a multitude of times. Lgbt equality will be harder and harder to attain IF we don't start taking anti-lgbt groups seriously. And aggressively calling them out BEFORE they smear us. We should encourage discussion and debate instead of whining about "a bigot being given a platform." Platforms are great places to fight battles AND change narratives. And one narrative we must change is how they claim their opposition to us is Biblically based. THAT is the ugliest lie of them all. Don't argue about it amongst yourselves. Just trust me on this one.

After this morning's decision, (Baronelle Stutzman)
was stunned. "I'm not asking for anything that our Constitution hasn't
promised me and every other American: the right to create freely, and to
live out my faith without fear of government punishment or
interference." Americans like Barronelle were told repeatedly that
redefining marriage wouldn't impact their lives. Now, two years into
this social experiment forced on the country by the courts, families are
being driven from their businesses -- and today, their homes -- for
wanting the same tolerance the Left preaches. Barronelle's attorney, Alliance Defending Freedom's (ADF) Kristen Waggoner, was blown away by the injustice.

"In a free America, people with differing beliefs must have room to
coexist," she said. "Our nation has a long history of protecting the
right to dissent, but simply because Barronelle disagrees with the state
about marriage, the government and ACLU have put at risk everything she
owns... It's no wonder that so many people are rightly calling on
President Trump to sign an executive order to protect our religious freedom
to prevent the federal government from persecuting Christians the way
rogue state actors in states like Washington are doing. Because that
freedom is clearly at risk for Barronelle and so many other Americans,
and because no executive order can fix all of the threats to that
freedom, we will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear this case and
reverse this grave injustice."

"The First Amendment guarantees the liberty
to speak freely, and the fundamental right to disagree. The government
cannot force individuals to create art against their conscience and
deeply held religious beliefs. Today's display of intolerance by the
Washington State Supreme Court both defies the Constitution and seeks to
outlaw the belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.
Compelling individuals to speak messages against their sincerely held
beliefs is un-American and unconstitutional."

You know how I feel about it. This entire "religious liberty" argument is a bogus piece of nonsense perpetrated by phony moral groups and fed to gullible individuals - both parties being too stubborn to admit the fact that they lost fair and square against marriage equality in our court of laws. This argument is not just about florists. Just where do you draw the line? Let's say that today, florists and bakers are given the right to refuse potential lgbt customers. How do we know that it won't be restaurants, hospitals or apartment complexes tomorrow?

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

According to Media Matters, the Southern Poverty Law Center named the Alliance Defending Freedom as an official anti-lgbt hate group. Media Matters breaks down 10 facts you should know about ADF.

They are listed below and should you want further information, go this very thorough link:

1. SPLC Labeled ADF A Hate Group Because Of Its Extreme, Demonizing Lies About LGBT People.

2. ADF Boasts A $48 Million-Plus Annual Budget And Over 3,000 “Allied Attorneys.” - Editor's note: Let met just break in here because I want to address those folks who constantly claim that if we ignore anti-lgbt groups and their actions, they will go away. When an organization has a budget of over $48 million and over 3,000 attorneys dedicated to eradicating your equality, it is not going ANYWHERE.

3. ADF Defended The Constitutionality Of Criminalizing Gay Sex In The U.S.

9. ADF Has Long Opposed Anti-Bullying Efforts In Schools And Even Launched The “Day Of Truth” To Combat The “Day Of Silence.”

10. ADF Wields Significant Power In The U.S. Legal System.

But if you want a general idea of how deceptive ADF is, check out the following video the organization posted asking Trump to "defend" the practice of "religious freedom," i.e. allowing people and businesses to discriminate against lgbts and in some cases, still be able to receive tax dollars. The video is 47 seconds and is very straightforward, so straightforward in fact that you may miss how it is deceiving you:

The summary of the video says the following:

Grace Youth and Family Foundation, one of thousands of faith based
organizations that contribute a trillion dollars in services each year
while serving their communities. They face giving up the very faith that
drives them to serve or stop serving those who need it most

Have you guessed how this video is deceptive?

How about if I ask a simple question: how is this charity being forced to trade its faith for tax dollars? Or better yet, is this charity actually being forced to make a decision between its faith and tax dollars?

The video doesn't explain this and I'd wager that it is because this charity is in no such danger.

It's all about images.

You see, when organizations like the ADF push the idea of "religious freedom," the image they seek to peddle are that of noble charities and so-called moral individuals forced by the government to abandon their personal beliefs for the money. They want to push images of upstanding Christians being forced to submit to the wishes of a so-called godless horde, be it bureaucratic or lgbt-oriented.

Organizations like the ADF don't want you to think about the lgbt families with their children or the lgbt youth who would be hurt by allowing people and businesses to discriminate against them.. They don't want you to think about the gay or lesbian couple who won't be able to get married because the clerk refuses to do his or her job while freely taking their tax dollars.

They don't want you to think of the possibility of the gay couple who could be denied fair treatment at hospitals if either of them or (shudder) any of their children are hurt because the registered nurse or the physician can pull the "religious freedom" card.

They don't want you to think about the significant ways lgbts lives could be disturbed by these "religious freedom" laws which would allow people to disrespect or devalue us while, in some cases, still taking our tax monies

This truth is what ADF and other like-minded organizations don't want you to know about. And the fact alone that they work so hard to hide this truth makes them worthy of being called hate groups

The media's
gleeful reaction to Flynn's resignation has set off a firestorm of
criticism from media watchdogs such as MRC and others who see a
behind-the-scenes effort from Obama loyalists to damage the Trump
administration. "The political assassination of Michael Flynn," a story written by Bloomberg columnist Eli Lake
this week, describes an enemy of the Left who was targeted for
retaliation – with other Trump loyalists targeted for the next round of
attacks.

Of course, one of the best examples of the Obama administration's
disdain for other country's beliefs was the addition of a full-time,
taxpayer-funded, diplomat who openly identified as gay to the payroll
whose sole purpose was forcing the president's radical social agenda on
reluctant countries. And as usual, the 44th president
bypassed Congress to appoint one. Like most conservatives, we encouraged
the new administration to do away with the position and focus on the
real human rights crises -- like Christian persecution and genocide. - FRC President Tony Perkins, February 14, 2017

Reality:

Despite recent progress in the US, Latin America and even Ireland
– one of the most conservative societies in Europe – the global
campaign for the rights of sexual minorities has experienced a series of
setbacks in other regions including Africa and the Middle East. Fewer than 1 billion of the world’s population live in countries
where same-sex marriage or civil unions are recognised, compared to
almost 2.8 billion living in countries which criminalise gay people and
impose severe punishments on homosexuality, such as imprisonment,
lashings and even death sentences. - The Guardian, February 26, 2015

A report that a Ugandan advocacy group released on Friday indicates
persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity increased
after the country’s president signed an anti-gay law in 2014. The Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) report documents 264 “verified
cases of human rights abuses against LGBTI Ugandans” between May 2014
and Dec. 31, 2015. The report indicates that 84 of these cases were loss of property and
employment and other forms of intimidation. Forty-eight of the 264
cases of anti-LGBT persecution involved violence, which included
“torture by the state.” - Washington Blade, April 22, 2016

While Americans have fiercely debated how to respond to the massacre
last month at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., Brazilians have been
confronting their own epidemic of anti-gay violence — one that, by some
counts, has earned Brazil the ignominious ranking of the world’s deadliest place for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.

Nearly 1,600 people have died in hate-motivated attacks in the past four and half years, according to Grupo Gay da Bahia,
which tracks the deaths through news articles. By its tally, a gay or
transgender person is killed almost every day in this nation of 200
million.

“And
these numbers represent only the tip of the iceberg of violence and
bloodshed,” said Eduardo Michels, the group’s data manager, adding that
the Brazilian police often omit anti-gay animus when compiling homicide
reports. - The New York Times, July 25, 2016

А Russian lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activist and another person have
been missing since January 31, 2017, in the separatist-controlled area
of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine,
and are feared to be victims of enforced disappearances, Human Rights
Watch said today. Human Rights Watch is concerned that the de facto
authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) have
detained them and are refusing to acknowledge their detention. Grey Violet, a Russian transgender person (also known as Oleg
Vasilyev and Maria Shtern), and Victoria Miroshnichenko arrived in the
DNR on January 31. They had planned to stage a public performance in
Donetsk in support of the LGBT community and record it on video. - Human Rights Watch, February 9, 2017

The point is not to make eradicating persecution a competition. When any group is persecuted, it is a hideous red mark for society in general. That being said, no one group is above another and for a so-called Christian organization to falsely claim or imply in anyway that lgbt persecution of any sort is not a "real human rights crisis" (especially in light of the fact that a simple google search refutes that idea) is beyond unconscionable.

It makes one wonder just what god does Perkins and the Family Research Council actually serve.

Heartfelt New Ad Urges LGBTQ People To ‘Hold Tight’ To One Another - "LGBTQ people of all ages are encouraged to hold their loved ones close in a heartwarming new ad campaign for the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ)
Released Feb. 9, the “Hold Tight” clip is intended to commemorate Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which kicks off Friday Feb. 17, and the Auckland Pride Festival (Feb. 10 ― 26). ANZ is a sponsor of both celebrations."

Anti-LGBTQ activists to Trump: Be Our Valentine - A special return from my friend, Jeremy Hooper. Trump doesn't have to worry about facing criticism from religious right groups for his incompetence. But he will if he doesn't grant them more power to make churches political tools and stamp down on lgbt equality.

Bryan Fischer: ‘The Real Brownshirts Are In The Homosexual Movement’ - Sigh! Bryan Fischer is calling us Nazis again, y'all. That's why ads like in the first news brief are important. Fighting evil rhetoric with true faces of love means a lot, particularly to impressionable lgbt kids. Remember that they are watching and listening. Always.

The Trump administration will allow the position of special U.S. envoy
to promote LGBT and intersex rights abroad to remain in place at the
State Department. A State Department spokesperson told Foreign Policy
on Monday that Randy Berry is continuing “in his role under the current
administration.” A State Department spokesperson reiterated this
statement to the Washington Blade.

“Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights
and Labor Randy Berry, a career Foreign Service officer, continues in
his role under the current administration,” the spokesperson told the
Blade.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry in 2015 announced the creation
of the position within the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human
Rights and Labor.

. . . Monday’s statement comes against the backdrop of concerns over
whether President Trump would eliminate the special LGBT envoy position.
Advocates have also urged the new administration to continue U.S.
efforts to promote LGBT and intersex issues around the world that the
Obama administration began.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins asked Trump late last year to remove “activists”
from the State Department who promote LGBT and reproductive rights
abroad. A spokesperson for the president’s then-transition team told the
Blade that any suggestion “that discrimination of any kind will be
condoned or tolerated in a Trump administration is simply absurd.”

Don't think for a moment that this decision means the lgbt community shouldn't be wary of the Trump Administration. He still has a vice president and a host of anti-lgbt groups and personalities supporting him.

Monday, February 13, 2017

The ‘Father’ of Ex-gay Ministry Dies - Never met this guy. I don't think I ever wrote about him. But it is important to note the harm that he did and that while he is gone, WE are still here and mostly intact.

Editor's note - This site can't be political all the time. It would drive you all crazy.

Adele's tribute to George Michael at the Grammys last night was very appropriate, particularly the part when she stopped the performance and began again. When a gay singing idol is paying tribute to a gay icon, there was too much power in the air.

Maybe the American Family Association is so desperate for Trump to sign an anti-lgbt "religious freedom" executive order that the organization is slipping in monitoring the comments on its One News Now site.

I assume Kushner is Jewish and Ivanka converted? There's your answer.
There is a huge Jewish backing to the LGBT agenda. And an almost
inherent suspicion and hatred of anything Christian in the public forum.

That's
why his Jewish relatives are urging him to NOT do what he promised.
Jews don't have to read or adhere to the Christian bible. They merely
need to read their OWN on that subject. It's quite clear in the Torah
what God thinks of homosexuality. But then, like many Christian
churches, Jewish synagogues are less about DOING what their Torah says
from the heart, and more about DOING the social gospel thing - "good
works" weighing more than a heart turned to God. The Jewish community
has taken the "works" aspect of their religion to the extreme and to the
point of anti-Christian activity, and anti-American subversion for
decades. It's true. Even if ONN is too afraid to admit it. Heck,
American JEWS are more often against Israel itself and apologists for
Palestinian terrorism.

Thursday, February 09, 2017

Conservative Christian organizations are getting impatient with Trump - Hardly noticed by the media is the conundrum facing Donald Trump when it comes to the religious right and the lgbt community. Allow me to break it down in my inimitable style. It's all figurative but I think you will get the point: Behind Donald Trump is the religious right roughly shoving him forward saying "we got you the White House so now you need to do what we demand. Sign that executive order and push hard for other things which would make discrimination against 'homosexuals' legal on a religious basis. OR ELSE!" In front of Trump stands the lgbt community wearing bathrobes and curlers, one hand on hip and the other hand holding either thick rolling pins or pots of boiling hot grits. And they are saying "yeah Donald, you go ahead and do that."

Wednesday, February 08, 2017

The Family Research Council abandons 'The Good Samaritan' parable in defense of Trump.

Eager to not lose it's "golden goose in the White House," the Family Research Council has forsaken any notions of religious propriety by not even attempting to act as Trump's conscience when he pushes for outlandish things such as his recent refugee ban

Instead, the organization is acting as cheerleader for Trump, even sidestepping the Bible it supposedly holds as a standard.

While Obama may have capped certain refugees, he showed unusual
hospitality to populations who pose the greatest threats to the U.S.
President Trump is determined to change that, putting the brakes on the
immigration process until a better, safer vetting protocol is in place.
But since Trump issued the order in late January, liberals have been in
hyper-drive trying to discredit the idea, which -- ironically -- was
based on security reviews conducted by President Obama'sown team.
Unfortunately, the Left just can't seem to wrap its mind around Trump's
protective measures when their only national security doctrine seems to
be "inclusivity" and "sensitivity."

That's also the cry of the religious Left. Since Syrian refugees
started streaming into America, some liberals tried to use Scripture to
suggest we should let anyone and everyone into the country. Of course,
these are the same people who claim we're trying to impose a theocracy
when we advocate for laws that uphold basic and historical standards of
morality. Still, there seems to be a growing chorus of believers who
justify these open-door policies on immigration with the Bible's command
to "love the stranger."

I agree -- we should love the stranger, but there's no suggestion in
the Bible that we should jeopardize our own security and well-being to
do so. There are plenty of charitable solutions for refugees that don't
involve bringing them to America and letting them abuse our hospitality
for ill-intent. Our nation can be caring and benevolent without
unnecessarily endangering our own people. What many forget is that
loving the stranger is just one component of Scripture's teaching. God
also commands foreigners to assimilate and keep the laws of the land. As
Exodus 12:49 makes clear: "There shall be one law for the native and
for the stranger who sojourns among you." The United States' goal should
be a safe haven for everyone. And that means protecting the America's
welcoming reputation without sacrificing our systems and safety.

That sounds reasonable, until one realizes that Perkins is spinning a huge distortion.

Taxpaying lgbts shouldn't sacrifice rights to 'religious liberty' propaganda - And I REALLY want to emphasize the piece I posted last night. The lgbt community needs to hold firm on this fact. We pay taxes and our money shouldn't be given to entities who will have a free pass to discriminate against us. In addition, federal employees are also paid by our tax dollars, so if they won't serve us like they do other Americans, they need to be let go. No apologies. No deviation from that line. It's our money, dammit and there isn't a thing wrong with demanding that if we pay taxes, we should be treated like other taxpaying Americans.

Liberals and homosexual activists are advancing their radical agenda
by attempting to torpedo President Donald Trump's executive order on
religious liberty that was recently leaked to the media. This is an
excellent executive order that will protect your First Amendment rights.

I urge you to sign the AFA petition NOW asking President Trump to protect religious freedom for all Americans.
I plan to personally deliver this petition with signatures during a
meeting with the Trump Administration. Help me take your voice to the
White House!

This is urgent! After the executive order was leaked, radical
activists demanded that the White House keep in place the policy
implemented by President Obama’s executive order. The Obama policy bans
federal contractors from funding if they refuse to change their
non-discrimination policies to include homosexuals and “transgender”
persons.

If Christians remain silent and do not let President Trump know
they stand with him on religious liberty, then the only voices he will
hear are those of radical homosexual activists.

. . . The religious freedom executive order under consideration by the Trump Administration:

Follows the long standing Religious Freedom Restoration Act
(RFRA) that states religious exercise "includes all aspects of religious
observance and practice."

Instructs all federal agencies, "to the greatest extent
practicable and permitted by law," to reasonably accommodate the
religion of federal employees, as required by Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Instructs the Departments of Health and Human Services,
Labor, and the Treasury to grant relief to the Little Sisters of the
Poor and others that are not exempt from the Obamacare contraception
mandate.

Instructs the Department of Health and Human Services to
ensure the federal government does not discriminate against the
religious beliefs of child-welfare providers such as foster care and
adoption services.

Instructs all federal agencies to provide protections and
exemptions consistent with the Civil Rights Act and Americans with
Disabilities Act to religious organizations that either contract with or
receive grants from the federal government.

Instructs the U.S. Treasury not to revoke the non-profit tax
status because a religious organization's ordinary religious speech
deals with politics, or because they speak or act on the belief that
marriage is the union of husband and wife, that sex is based on
immutable biology, or that life begins at conception.

I'm not even going to refute these bullets one at a time because they can all be handled with a question, which unfortunately, has not been asked enough.

Mike Huckabee’s Transphobic ‘Joke’ Slammed By Stars, Allies - A vile positive to the election of Trump is how certain members of the religious right are discarding their masks of piety and showing their true bigoted faces. Because mocking someone for crying about the Holocaust AND making fun of a transgender murder victim at the same time takes a special kind of nasty hate.

Editor's note - And this isn't Huckabee's first time at the "rodeo of homophobia." The article above isn't just about a simple joke. Mike Huckabee has a long history of attacking lgbts and reducing our lives to punchlines and illusions about sex all in the name of "his faith." He simply does not like lgbts, period:

According to the anti-lgbt hate group the Family Research Council, the two and half weeks with Trump in power have been wonderful. And it would be even more wonderful if he would repeal The Johnson Amendment, thereby allowing churches to publicly endorse or oppose political candidates without losing tax exempt status. The following is from FRC president Tony Perkins:

President Trump didn't waste any time proving his critics wrong.
People who doubted whether the Republican would make good on his
promises learned pretty quickly that there's nothing empty about this
president's word. From the unborn to immigration, the new White House
has been working its way through a long list of priorities -- which, we
know from last week's National Prayer Breakfast, includes the Johnson
Amendment. From almost the beginning of his candidacy, Trump has
highlighted this 1954 law as one of the worst abusers of free speech in
America.

And plenty of conservatives agree. After eight years of the Obama IRS
breathing down the necks of nonprofits and churches, threatening to
take away their tax exempt status, the Johnson Amendment has become just
another way for liberals to crackdown on pastors' ability to speak
openly about political issues and candidates. That changes now, say
conservatives like Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.), House Majority Whip
Steve Scalise (R-La.), and Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), who together
introduced the Free Speech Fairness Act to stop the government from
muting pastors who apply God's laws to today's debates. They, like
President Trump, think it's time to put an end to this culture of
intimidation -- especially since that wasn't the purpose of the measure
to begin with! In a joint op-ed for the Washington Post, the trio talks about their new bill and what it would mean for the pulpits of America.

"Specifically, our legislation would ensure that all 501(c)(3)
organizations, including nonprofits, charities, and houses of worship
are legally able to make comments about a political issue within the
scope of their normal activities. An environmental nonprofit that sends
out an e-newsletter educating its readers about the climate positions of
candidates wouldn't have to fear an audit. A church employee who
distributes election voter guides (for which her church did not incur
any cost for distribution) could not be punished by the IRS."

As I said on CNN over the weekend, this has nothing to do with money
being expended on political campaigns. And it certainly doesn't mean
that churches will become the new arm of the Republican Party -- or
either party. As Lankford, Scalise, and Hice pointed out, "Every
American should be able to speak freely about their conscience and
convictions -- no matter what their job is."

The truth of the matter is Americans are able to speak freely about their conscience and convictions. That is not the point. The point is should certain organizations be allowed to endorse or oppose political candidates without losing their nonprofit status? And let's not play games here. The organizations in question are in fact churches. Perkins can dodge all he likes, but we are in fact talking about churches, which is a main source of a lot of FRC's power and influence. Perkins seeks to distract people with jingoistic or religious words like "freedom," "conscience," and "convictions" because he has yet to make a concise defense on why should churches meddle deep into politics without losing their tax-exempt status.

And my guess is that Perkins doesn't have one. Giving churches unfettered access to political power is a dangerous game to play, but it only underscores what I have said about the religious right's relationship with Trump. They don't care to act as his moral conscience. They are only acting as his alibi so that he gives them what they want.

About Me

Alvin McEwen is 46-year-old African-American gay man who resides in Columbia, SC.
McEwen's blog, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters, and writings have been mentioned by Americablog.com, Goodasyou.org, People for the American Way, PageOneQ.com, The Washington Post, Raw Story, The Advocate, Media Matters for America, Crooksandliars.com, Thinkprogress.org, Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish, Melissa Harris-Perry, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, Newsweek, The Daily Beast, The Washington Blade, and Foxnews.com.
In addition, he is also a past contributor to Pam's House Blend,Justice For All, LGBTQ Nation, and Alternet.org. He is a present contributor to the Daily Kos and the Huffington Post,
He is the 2007 recipient of the Harriet Daniels Hancock Volunteer of the Year Award and the 2010 recipient of the Order of the Pink Palmetto from the SC Pride Movement as well as the 2009 recipient of the Audre Lorde/James Baldwin Civil Rights Activist Award from SC Black Pride. In addition, he is a three-time nominee of the Ed Madden Media Advocacy Award from SC Pride.